Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame
Cleveland, Ohio
I Love Rock & Roll
Being a music geek, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF) holds a soft spot in my heart. If the original Woodstock site is my Holy Land, then the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is my Mecca.
I think I became that music geek through osmosis. Growing up in my Parent’s home, the “hi-fi” was always playing, The Crooners, Frank, Dino, Sammy, Nat and Miss Ella. To this day, I still appreciate that genre, but then one day, I discovered rock and roll. I can’t even remember what song it was, and it doesn’t really matter; I was hooked. I needed to listen to it, learn everything I could about it.
By no means do you need to be as much of a music geek as I am to enjoy visiting the RRHOF. Music plays in the background of all our lives, and it’s the soundtrack of our lives. Whether we hum a song in the elevator that we don’t even know the name of or quote a line from some music we heard at a ballgame. Music is life.
A visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio brings that all to you.
Do you Remember Rock n Roll Radio?
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the artists, producers, engineers, and other notable figures who have influenced its development. *
But why Cleveland? Well, there once was this mythical creature known as a DJ (disc jockey), not the DJ, who thinks they are a musician because he stands in front of hundreds of people on his laptop. These were people that spun records for a living. In the 1950s, one of these DJs named Alan Freed was working at WJW (850 AM) in Cleveland, and he coined the phrase “Rock n Roll”, and the rest was history. Thus, making Cleveland the birthplace of Rock & Roll.
You can visit Alan Freed’s jukebox gravestone at Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio
Checkout these other Interesting Gravesites Worth Visiting
Long Live Rock
Architect I.M. Pei designed the museum’s striking 150,000-square-foot (14,000-square-metre) glass-dominated building, an angular assemblage of geometric forms set on the shore of Lake Erie.
The giant glass pyramid structure almost reminds me of the Louvre in Paris, where all the greatest works of art are kept. This is no different; some of music’s most significant moments and memorabilia are held here. The Rock Hall is one of the great museums in America. As you walk up to the museum, there is no doubt what is in store for you as the giant red letters out front say “LONG LIVE ROCK.”
For Those About to Rock
From the roots of rock to modern-day inductees. The Animals to The Zombies, from AC/DC to ZZTop and all before and after. You don’t have to agree with everybody who gets inducted, and I certainly don’t, but that’s a whole other article, but you have to be amazed at the history. I learn something new each time I go. The displays constantly change as something or someone is added or a special presentation is displayed. You don’t need to be a Pink Floyd fan, but I dare you to leave without taking a picture of The Wall. I genuinely think every nook and cranny is filled with something worth seeing.
Another Brick in the Wall
To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. An international voting body of more than 1,000 artists, historians, and music industry members. receive nominee ballots. They consider various factors such as an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career, and the body of work, innovation, and superiority in style and technique.
Class of 2022: This year’s Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductees a melange of musical acts, including Eminem, Eurythmics, Pat Benatar, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, Harry Belafonte, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and many others.
We Will Rock You
The interactive displays alone are worth the price of admission. Listen to the inductees, the legends, the roots. Watch the induction ceremonies and performances with a stage full of the greatest of all time performing together. Prince plays George Harrison’s “My Guitar Gently Weeps” with a myriad of stars and George’s son Dhani. You, too, can pretend to be Eric Clapton for a bit or any other rock star you choose. Yes, there are rooms with instruments you can actually play. The games room is quite a lot of fun.
Good Rockin’ tonight
As you walk through the museum, the history of Rock & Roll unfolds before you. Exhibits feature everything from the early influences, the rhythm and blues artists, the early ROCK of the 1950s with Elvis, Buddy Holly and more. The hall includes the artists from the British Invasion and the inception of the Psychedelic era, Punk Rock, Glam Rock, Heavy Metal and everything in between. You begin to realize just how much there is at the RRHOF and how much music history you can actually learn. Yes, there is even a little bit of rap.
Who Are You?
I could get into every single display, but why ruin your fun? There is something for everyone no matter what your favourite band or style of music you favour.
- Beatles fans will twist & shout because they are there.
- Do you love Janis Joplin? Trust me; she is in there.
- If you are a Chuck Berry fan, you will be reelin’ and rockin’.
- Fans of Abba will love being visitors to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- If you love the music of the 50s, 60s, 70, 80s to the present, it’s all there.
A visit to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame is a feast for the senses. You will see, hear, feel, and experience it all. Of course, like every attraction, you exit through the gift shop where you can buy all your Rock & Roll souvenirs. They have a plethora of books, records, t-shirts, trinkets, and housewares, all related to music. It’s all there. From Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Depeche Mode, the Rock Hall has something for all music lovers.
Plan your own road trip to Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
By: Greg Smith
Classic Rock & Roll Enthusiast
